Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: BFG on January 27, 2013, 08:45:10 PM

Title: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: BFG on January 27, 2013, 08:45:10 PM

My modding of alphax.txt continues...this time, I'm focusing on the terraforming section.
I've decided to try enabling several of the seaforming options which normally are unavailable: Tank Enricher (i.e. sea Soil Enricher), Landing Platform (sea Airbase), Sensor Buoy, Sea Borehole, and Level Sea Floor.

Has anyone tried this before?  Are any known to not work in-game?  Which of them are missing graphics?  And, could any of them cause imbalance?

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: gwillybj on January 27, 2013, 08:59:12 PM

I know for sure I've fiddled around with #TERRAIN and have tested all the disabled items, but I have none of them enabled in my edited alphax.txt. I don't remember why. Either they didn't work or I didn't like them if they did :dunno:

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Kilkakon on January 28, 2013, 02:11:36 PM

I can talk about the Sensors. They will provide LoS and will provide their defensive bonus to nearby land squares only. They'll use the same graphic as the land based ones. In Lost Eden, I deliberately designed my sensors to work on both land and sea squares.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: BFG on January 28, 2013, 05:59:15 PM

Quote from: Kilkakon on January 28, 2013, 02:11:36 PM

I can talk about the Sensors. They will provide LoS and will provide their defensive bonus to nearby land squares only.

Well, that's unfortunate.  I guess I can take that one off the list then.  Thanks.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Lord Avalon on January 28, 2013, 10:34:32 PM

IMO building a sensor buoy for the LOS is still worth it.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: BFG on January 28, 2013, 10:48:50 PM

Quote from: Lord Avalon on January 28, 2013, 10:34:32 PM

IMO building a sensor buoy for the LOS is still worth it.

Heh, I'll probably come to the same conclusion after trying it out!

What would it take to modify the PCX files so that a sensor buoy would have a different graphic than a land sensor?  (Same question for boreholes, soil/tank enrichers, etc.).  Is it even possible?

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on January 28, 2013, 11:11:34 PM

It wouldn't be any trouble to add a sea sensor in one of the empty boxes in ter1.pcx, but you'd have to get the game to adress the box.  Take some serious coding...

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Lord Avalon on January 28, 2013, 11:42:47 PM

A sea borehole is a weird concept.  Is the graphic just a hole in the ocean?

Realistically, there'd have to be a dome over it, right?

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on January 29, 2013, 12:00:28 AM

Makes sense to me.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: BFG on January 29, 2013, 01:23:06 AM

Quote from: Lord Avalon on January 28, 2013, 11:42:47 PM

Realistically, there'd have to be a dome over it, right?

Yep, I was thinking the same thing.  So perhaps it should not be allowed until a more advanced tech is available - say, at the same time as either Habitation Dome, Tachyon Field or Pressure Dome.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: BFG on January 30, 2013, 04:56:19 AM

Well, the Landing Platform shows no graphic, so I'll be deactivating it...and I may do the same with the Sea Borehole, since it uses the Thermal Borehole graphic.  Tank Enricher also has no graphic but I wouldn't expect one (because the tank would be underwater).  Sensor Buoy and Level Sea Floor seem to work just fine.

EDIT: I also decided to move Sea Boreholes to Inertial Damping.  After all, something (either in the way of a dome, or in this case, a tachyon field) would need to keep the seawater out of the borehole.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Lord Avalon on January 30, 2013, 05:28:51 AM

What does Level Sea Floor do?

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: BFG on January 31, 2013, 05:02:23 AM

Quote from: Lord Avalon on January 30, 2013, 05:28:51 AM

What does Level Sea Floor do?

To be honest, I'm having enough trouble with my install of SMAX right now, I'm not certain  ;lol  I'll let you know.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Flygon on January 31, 2013, 03:18:08 PM

Quote from: Lord Avalon on January 30, 2013, 05:28:51 AM

What does Level Sea Floor do?

It makes it easier to mow the Sea Kelp with your trusty lawn mower.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Yitzi on January 31, 2013, 10:02:41 PM

Quote from: Lord Avalon on January 30, 2013, 05:28:51 AM

What does Level Sea Floor do?

Makes it so that when you raise it to land, it'll be less rocky, I suppose.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: Lord Avalon on January 31, 2013, 10:33:23 PM

Maybe Level Sea Floor gets rid of that ugly Fossil Ridge.

Title: Re: Anyone tried adding new seaforming options?
Post by: gwillybj on January 31, 2013, 11:36:32 PM

It affects nothing as long as it's under water, but I agree with Yitzi.